Premature birth, also commonly known as preterm birth, occurs when the infant is born after less than 37 weeks of gestation. Statistically, premature infants are at a greater risk of short- and long-term complications, including impediments in growth and mental development. Long term health effects resulting from preterm birth can include cerebral palsy, blindness, lung disease, and learning disabilities. While the underlying cause of preterm birth is generally unknown, many factors appear to be associated with premature birth, making reduction of this health risk challenging.
In most developed countries and in Europe, the preterm birth rate is generally between 5 to 9 percent. However, in the United States, the rate has risen to an alarming 12 to 13 percent over the last several decades. In fact from 1990 to 2005, premature births in this country have risen over 20 percent. This translates to roughly 500,000 preterm births each year.
There are several classifications of preterm birth, based largely upon the gestational age and birth weight. A low birth weight infant (LBW) refers to any infant weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces. A very low birth weight infant (“VLBW”) includes an infant born less than 3 pounds, 5 ounces. Finally, an extremely low birth weight infant (“ELBW”) is an infant who weighs less than 2 pounds, 2 ounces. Each year, approximately 40,000 ELBW infants are born in the United States.
Most hospitals in developed countries maintain neonatal intensive care units (“NICUs”) capable of treating preterm infants, as well as low birth weight infants (including VLBW and ELBW infants) or any infant requiring hospital intervention. Highly trained and specialized nurses who are capable of treating neonatal infants staff these NICUs. Most NICUs keep neonatal infants in specialized incubators that create a confined and isolated environment to provide regulated temperature and proper life support and respiratory systems.
When treating neonatal infants, especially VLBW and ELBW infants, most NICUs attempt to reduce or even eliminate physical contact as much as possible for the first 72 hours after birth (once these infants are placed into an incubator or onto a radiant warmer and connected to life support, respiratory systems and monitors). This is because these neonatal infants have extremely fragile skin, high sensitivity to touch, and are at a larger risk of intraventricular hemorrhaging (a rupturing of the capillaries in the brain, which can be caused in part in handling low birth weight infants).
Due to these risks, doctors and nurses try to adhere to a minimal stimulation protocol by clustering care, for example, to allow babies longer periods of rest. Currently, however, there is no simple or safe way to change neonatal bed linens. Instead, it is simply common practice to place an absorbent cotton blanket in the incubator (or on the radiant warmer) prior to treating the neonatal infant. Once a blanket becomes soiled with blood, urine, feces or materials used to treat the neonatal infant (i.e., betadine or saline), they are removed from the incubator or radiant warmer. This typically occurs through briefly lifting the neonatal infant, removing the soiled blanket and positioning a new and clean blanket (requiring multiple staff assisting in this process).
There are multiple drawbacks with this current system commonly used in NICUs. First, the brief relocation of the neonatal infant to remove the soiled blankets can cause trauma, bruising or even possible intraventricular hemorrhaging. Second, repositioning the neonate to remove the soiled blanket risks extubation of endotracheal tubes required for ventilation, which can cause damage, injury or even death to the neonate—or at the very least severe discomfort. Finally, even with removal of the top layered blanket, there is a risk that some secretion of fluid may seep onto the underlying incubator (or radiant warmer). Upon removal of the top cotton blanket, the neonatal infant is still exposed to this fluid, risking infection.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art of treating neonatal infants—especially those with VLBW and ELBW—or any unstable newborn within an incubator or radiant warmer to reduce the amount of physical contact with NICU personnel. Moreover, there is a need in the art to manufacture bed barriers that allow removal of soiled bed blankets without disrupting or moving the neonatal infant to reduce the risk of trauma and/or injury.